Traffic was diverted off northbound Interstate 45 through Conroe for five hours Wednesday after an 18-wheeler struck the Wilson Road overpass, causing “substantial” damage to the structure, Texas Department of Transportation officials said.

After inspecting the damage, TxDOT officials determined at least one concrete beam that supports the overpass roadway will need to be replaced, while several other beams require repairs. The affected beams are part of the I-45 renovation and expansion between South Loop 336 and North Loop 336.

TxDOT workers spent several hours chipping pieces of concrete off the damaged beams. The beams consist of concrete reinforced by steel “strands,” said Don Norwood, TxDOT’s Montgomery Area construction supervisor.

Although Norwood termed the damage as substantial, he said the overpass is structurally sound. After a short delay, traffic was permitted to travel on the overpass.

“The beam that will need to be replaced is where a sidewalk is to be located,” he said.

A plastic “blanket” was attached to the leading beam in the I-45 northbound lanes to catch any concrete chips that might be jarred loose, Norwood said.

The damage will not interfere with the construction timeline on I-45, TxDOT Area Engineer Karen Baker said. Repairs to the overpass will take place some time during the next two to three months once traffic on the main lanes is switched to the eastern side of the interstate.

“That way we won’t have to shut down the interstate,” she said.

The incident occurred shortly after 8 a.m. when the truck belonging to Double D Trucking, of Lafayette, La., slammed into the overpass. Driven by Thomas Davis, 50, of Arnaudville, La., the 18-wheeler was carrying a piece of excavation equipment, Conroe Police Sgt. James Graham said.

The truck and its equipment was measured at 17 feet, 11 inches, Graham said. Clearance of the Wilson Road overpass was posted at 15 feet, 1 inch.

Davis was cited for an oversized load by Conroe Police Officer Mark Schwind. Davis was not permitted to haul a load at the height of the Wilson Road overpass, Graham said.

Repeated phone calls to the Double D Trucking offices in Lafayette resulted in a recorded message stating the company was not taking any phone calls “at this time.”

Baker said the company would be billed for the cost of the repairs.

Conroe Police began diverting traffic off I-45 at South Loop 336 and onto Frazier Street (Texas 75) not long after the wreck so TxDOT officials could assess the damage, Conroe Police Sgt. Jon Buckholtz said.

Traffic was permitted to re-enter I-45 at the FM 3083 overpass, while southbound I-45 lanes remained open.